


The Vacation

by WarriorFoxtail



Series: The Vacation [1]
Category: Let's Play (Webcomic)
Genre: Charles you smooth mofo, F/M, Family Vacation, Forehead Kisses, Learning to Swim, Sauna, Swimming Pools
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:48:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24223057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarriorFoxtail/pseuds/WarriorFoxtail
Summary: When Charles is unexpectedly invited on a family trip by Mrs. Young, he stumbles across Sam while at the pool and teaches her a few things
Relationships: Charles Jones/Sam Young (Let's Play)
Series: The Vacation [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748386
Comments: 3
Kudos: 60





	The Vacation

Of all the things Charles had expected to be doing on the weekend of Mrs. Young’s return, going with her and her family on a short vacation was the very last thing on the list. But here he was, squeezed between Sam and the back seat door of a rental van on his way to a resort on the coast for a few days to “take a break from keeping things in check while I was away,” as Mrs. Young had put it. As he watched the world rush by the car window, he thought back to the conversation he’d had with her.

_ “Mrs. Young. You asked to see me?” Charles asked as he entered and gently shut the door to her office. _

_ Mrs. Young looked up from where she reclined in her chair reading, and smiled. _

_ “Charles! Yes, I did. How are you today?” she asked cheerily. _

_ Charles dipped his head politely. “I am doing well, thank you. And you?” _

_ “I’m very well. I trust my husband behaved while I was gone?” _

_ “He was… tolerable, during your absence.” _

_ She smiled knowingly, a soft laugh escaping her nose. “Figures. He always was rather clingy,” she sighed, though a fond smile tugged at her lips. Then she looked back to Charles, “But anyway, that’s not why I called you here. There’s something I’d like to ask of you.” _

_ “I’m at your service, Mrs. Young.” _

_ “Samuel is determined to take us all on a vacation this weekend. Something about “celebrating my triumphant return” or something like that, and I was hoping you’d join us.” _

_ Charles’ eyes widened at that. “Forgive me, Mrs. Young. I’m not sure I understand. You’re asking me to join you on a  _ family _ vacation?” _

_ “It is my family going, but honestly I think Samuel’s just looking for an excuse to spoil me again. And besides, I know how difficult my husband can be to handle sometimes. And you’ve helped Sam grow so much these past few weeks. I hardly recognized her when I returned,” she teased. _

_ For a moment, Charles was speechless. “Mrs. Young, I wouldn’t dare impose-” _

_ But a gentle wave of her hand cut him off. “Nonsense, Charles, you’re not imposing at all. I insist you join us. You deserve a break.” _

_ He was torn. On the one hand, he felt like he was intruding on a family matter. But a break from nothing but contracts and computers sounded so nice… He turned to Mrs. Young. “You’re sure it’s no trouble?” he finally asked. _

_ She smiled. “Not at all.” _

Charles glanced over at Sam beside him. She had fallen asleep against Jay’s shoulder. Her brother was also asleep, his head leaned back against the headrest. Charles’ eyes drifted back to Sam, and he studied the peaceful expression she wore. Her lips were parted just a tiny bit, and every so often, her eyes shifted beneath their lids. She looked… cute.

Suddenly, as Samuel turned the next corner, Sam’s head slid across the seat from Jay’s shoulder to Charles’. For a moment, he froze, unsure of what to do. He didn’t want to risk waking her, but if her father were to glance back and see them like this, he was certainly in for an earful. But as he gazed at her sweet expression, he couldn’t help the tiny smile that tugged at his lips. If he stayed quiet, Samuel would never have to know, right?

Even though they had arrived at the hotel in the early afternoon, Sam’s father still managed to fit in a few things for them to do after they’d checked in. It felt good to be able to spend time with her entire family again. It had been so long. And Charles being there with them had been an unexpected, but certainly pleasant, surprise. Thankfully, her brother and father had been  begrudgingly cordial with him, though she suspected her mother had something to do with that. She’d caught her eyeing the two men with an expression that looked like a cross between a smile and a glare a couple of times.

Now she sat on the second bed of her and her mother’s shared room. She looked relaxed, but bored. And her mother noticed.

“Sam, honey? You ok?” she asked her daughter.

Sam looked at her mother and smiled. “Oh, yeah. I’m alright, just… just a little tired is all.”

“It was a pretty busy afternoon, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. Dad’s skills at event planning still kind of astound me.”

The older woman chuckled softly. “Truth. Well, if you’re looking to relax for a bit, I think I saw a sign for a sauna room as we were coming in. Maybe you should go check it out. It’s a wonderful stress reliever.”

Sam eyed her mother for a moment. She had only been to a sauna once before when she was little. She didn’t remember much about it, but from what she could recall, they were nice. And relaxing after so many activities today did sound amazing. “Alright. I’ll go check it out.”

With that, she stood from the bed and grabbed her  [ swimsuit ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/508132770457251772/) from her suitcase. She slid into the bathroom to change, then grabbed a towel, some flip-flops, bid her mother goodbye and headed out. As she left, she missed the sly smile on her mother’s face.

After taking only one wrong turn, Sam made her way to the pool area. Following the signs, she found the door to the sauna room next to the door to the pool. As she moved to open the door, something caught her eye in the pool room. Glancing through the glass for a brief moment, she saw someone doing laps in the pool. At first she thought nothing of it, until they stopped at one edge and pulled off the swim cap and goggles. She’d know that platinum blonde hair anywhere. She paused and peeked curiously through the glass.

Once his hair was free of the rubber cap, he dunked his head once and shook out the bright blonde locks. He ran his hands through it to push any errant strands from his eyes. He wiped excess water from his eyes, then reached for the ladder.

Sam nearly choked as he pulled himself out of the pool. Her ears turned a bright hot red as she watched the water run in thin rivulets down the toned muscles of his torso. She thanked the lord above his back was to her. If she were to see him from the front… Once he was on the deck he moved to a nearby deck chair. A weak gasp escaped her lips as he turned just enough to allow her a glimpse of subtle, but toned abs, and the slight ‘V’ of his hips disappearing into his trunks. As he picked up the towel sitting on the chair and began to dry off, Sam swallowed at seeing the muscles in his arms and shoulders flex and move. She was suddenly very very thankful she’d fixed her nose bleed issue.

As Charles continued to dry his hair, he got a strange feeling. He was being watched. Letting the towel drop to his shoulders, he turned to the door. There was no one there. Odd… He could have sworn he’d sensed- The door to the sauna next door swung shut in his peripheral. He couldn’t help the tiny smirk. Someone had been there. And he thought he had a pretty good idea who. Suddenly, a trip to the sauna sounded rather nice.

Sam took a deep breath. Steam filled her lungs, clearing her airways and cooling her nose with a gentle scent of mint. She let her head rest against the wooden walls and closed her eyes. She sighed softly, unable to tell if the heat in her cheeks and ears was from the steam, or something else. She bit her lip as the image of him passed her mind’s eye again.

_ No! Stop it, brain! I can’t be focusing on that. I came here to relax, _ she thought.  _ I’m here to re- _

“Mind if I join you?”

“AAIIIEEE!!!” Sam frantically turned to the voice, and found Charles standing in the doorway to the sauna. An amused smile tugged at his lips. She swallowed. The towel around his shoulders did little to cover his torso and it was getting harder and harder to not let her eyes drift down. “Ch-Charles,” she stammered. “I… S-sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

He chuckled softly. “Forgive me for startling you, Miss Young.”

Sam managed a weak smile. “I-It’s alright.” She looked away then, biting her lip a little.  _ Please stop racing, heart! _ she begged silently.

It took all Charles had in him to not tease her. “May I join you?” he asked instead. His voice was sweet. Innocent.

“Uhm… S-sure.”

He dipped his head in gratitude and made his way to the bench across from her. Sitting down, he let the towel fall from his shoulders, and leaned back against the wall. He rested his head on the wood and let his eyes drift shut. A soft sigh escaped his lips as the heat began to relieve any tension still in his muscles.

Sam swallowed.  _ Oh great… Now what am I supposed to do? _ She glanced up at him, trying desperately to not stare. She bit her lip, then finally worked up the courage to speak. Sort of… “S-so, uh…”

Charles opened an eye and peeked at her curiously. “Yes?”

Suddenly, Sam found the steam maker incredibly interesting to look at. “Uh-um… Y-you can swim?” She wanted to kick herself for sounding so dumb.

But Charles only smiled, an amused chuckle rumbling his chest. “Yes, I can.” He relaxed back against the wall, his eyes once again closing. “I have been for some years now.”

“Really?” Sam asked, intrigued.

“Yes. I find it wonderful exercise.”

_ It shows… _ Her cheeks flushed hot crimson as the thought crossed her mind. Thank God she’d had the sense to keep it in her head. “I-I see,” she said instead.

For a short while, there was silence. Despite feeling nervous, Sam found the silence companionable. She fiddled with the corner of the towel she had wrapped around her torso and tried to focus on her breathing. She was a little amazed at how well the steam helped clear her sinuses.

“What about you, Miss Young?” Charles’ voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

“H-huh?” Sam started. He was looking fully at her now.

“Do you swim often?”

Sam looked down at her hands. “N-not very…” she admitted. “My asthma made it hard, and I was never really any good at it.”

“I see…” Charles watched her expression fall a little. “If I may,” he began. She peeked up at him. “There are a few techniques I could show you that shouldn’t agitate your asthma. If you wish, that is.” His stomach did a little flip at seeing her eyes sparkle hopefully.

“R-really? You’d do that?” She couldn’t keep the excitement from her voice. His tender smile made her chest flutter.

“But of course.” He stood from the bench, picked up his towel, then held a hand out to her. “Shall we?”

Sam flushed as she eyed his outstretched hand. “O-ok,” she managed, taking it shyly. He gently pulled her to her feet, and led her back to the pool room.

Sam shivered a little at the sudden change in temperature.

He placed his towel down on the chair and moved to the stairs at the shallow end, stepping down the first two.

Sam stood awkwardly for a moment. She knew she’d need to put the towel down before getting in the water, but…

“Miss Young?” Charles called.

“R-right. I’m coming.” She walked over to the deck chair and hesitantly began to unwrap the towel. She could feel his eyes on her as it fell from her body and to the chair next to his. Her arms wrapped around herself instinctively. She took a deep breath, then slowly turned to face him. His expression was deceivingly neutral, but she swore she could see the faintest trace of pink on his cheeks. Deciding for the sake of her heart, it’d be safer to not call attention to it, she made her way to the shallow end and slowly stepped down the stairs.

“Now,” Charles began, “how much about swimming do you know, Miss Young?”

Sam hummed in thought for a moment. “I can walk in the five foot area, and I can hold my breath for about ten seconds without giving myself an asthma attack… and that’s about it…”

Charles nodded and smiled. “Very well. We’ll start with something basic then. Floating.”

“Floating,” Sam repeated curiously.

“Yes. All you’ll need to do is lay back and let the water carry you,” Charles explained.

Sam bit her lip nervously and nodded. “O-ok.”

They waded out a little further till they were about waist deep. Charles turned to her then.

“Would you like to start, or shall I demonstrate first?”

“Um… Let’s just start,” Sam decided.

He smiled. “As you wish.”

Sam swallowed nervously. “Um.. W-what do I do first?”

Charles smiled patiently, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “We’ll start by getting you into position.”

“Ok,” Sam nodded.

“I’ll place my hand on your back and guide you down into the water.”

“O-ok.” She swallowed nervously. She jumped a little as his hand came in contact just below her shoulder blades.

“Now, slowly lean back,” he instructed.

Sam obeyed, hesitantly letting him guide her back down into the water. She felt her feet start to lift off the pool floor but tried not to let it throw her off.

“Good,” Charles encouraged. “Now, slowly lift your feet to the surface.”

When she tried, she felt herself wobble a little and instinctively reached for Charles’ arm.

“Easy, Miss Young.” He took her wrist and helped steady her. “I’ve got you.”

The feeling of his fingers on the exposed skin of her back was still foreign to her. She tried to fight down the heat bleeding into her ears. Then his hand slid down to the dip of her spine. That sent a jolt of electricity through her and her ears turned pinker.

“Arch your back a little more,” he instructed gently. “Good.”

Instead of focusing on the feeling of his hand on her back, Sam opted to focus on the surface of the water as it lapped at her skin. There was something oddly soothing about the feeling. Then a thought crossed her mind. She bit her lip. “I-” she began, pausing.

“Yes?” Charles prompted.

“I feel… kinda silly,” she admitted.

Charles’ brow quirked in confusion. “Oh? Why is that?”

She flushed in embarrassment. “Well… Isn’t this something that even little kids can do?”

Charles’ gaze softened in understanding, a gentle smile on his lips. “Perhaps. But it isn’t your fault. You simply weren’t given the opportunity to learn at the time.”

Sam thought about his words. “I guess…”

“You’re doing wonderfully, Miss Young.”

Sam turned her eyes to him and saw that both his hands were up out of the water, showing he wasn’t helping her anymore.

“I-I’m… floating?” she breathed.

“As easily as a boat at sea,” he said, a proud smile on his lips. “You’re a natural, Miss Young.”

Sam laughed softly. “I did it!” She went to try and stand up, but misjudged the distance to the bottom of the pool. The ball of her foot grazed the bottom then slid. Unprepared for the lack of support, she sunk, taking in a gulp of chlorine water in the flurry. Suddenly, a pair of arms shot around her waist and pulled her above the water and to a firm chest.

“Miss Young? Are you alright?” Charles’ frantic voice broke through the sputtering and coughing.

“I-” she was cut off by another coughing fit.

At that, Charles dipped down and wrapped an arm around the back of her knees. Then, as if she weighed no more than a leaf, he lifted her out of the water. He waded through the shallow end and up the stairs onto the deck. Once he’d made it back to the chair, he gently placed her down and knelt in front of her. “Miss Young, can you breathe? Shall I fetch your inhaler?” he asked, checking her over for any possible injuries.

The coughing fit began to subside as the last of the water left her lungs. She took a few deep breaths and cleared her throat. “I-  _ cough! _ I should be ok,” she wheezed. She looked up at Charles and smiled softly. “Thank you.”

“You’re not hurt?” he asked, still checking her for anything off.

“No, I’m alright,” she assured him.

His breathed a sigh of relief, shoulders relaxing. “Good. Perhaps the lessons can wait until a later date,” he suggested.

“Yeah,” Sam agreed, smiling sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”

Charles shook his head, a smile still on his face. “There’s no need to apologize, Miss Young. I mean what I said. You are a natural.”

Sam peeked up at him through her lashes. When her eyes met his, her pulse began to pick up. “Y-you think so?” The look that passed through Charles’ eyes was one she’d never seen before. Before she could process it more, he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“I do,” he whispered when he pulled away.

Sam stared at him. Her fingers dumbly drifted to the spot he’d kissed. Her cheeks were painted a bright pink. Before she could say a word, Charles stood and held out a hand for her.

“Can you walk alright?” he asked, worry leaking into his voice.

In a daze, Sam took his hand. “Y-yeah,” she mumbled.

Charles smiled, then picked up her towel and gently draped it over her shoulders. Once they’d gathered the rest of their things, he held out his hand again.

“Shall we?”

Sam flushed, biting her lip. She timidly took his hand, enjoying the warmth of his palm against hers. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

Hand in hand, the two of them made their way back to their rooms.

Sam reminded herself to thank her mother later when she stopped Samuel from coming out and nearly strangling Charles right there when they returned.


End file.
